Human-animal conflict claimed 63 lives last year
Human-wildlife conflict in Uttarakhand spiked in 2020, with 63 human lives lost to fatal encounters as compared to 58 in 2019. Data from the Uttarakhand forest department revealed that half of the deaths were caused by leopard attacks, which saw a significant spike in 2020.
Out of the total 63, leopard attacks claimed 31 human lives in the hill state in 2020 as compared to 18 in 2019 while 15 people lost their lives due to snakebites. In 2019, 18 had died of snakebites. Attacks by elephant claimed 11 lives.
NSG to ensure fool-proof security for Mahakumbh
National Security Guard (NSG) commandos will be deployed in Mahakumbh 2021 in Haridwar to ensure fool-proof security.
The announcement comes after Major General V S Ranade, NSG (IG Operations), met Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar.
The NSG commandos will be arriving for Mahakumbh mela in two phases with the first team reaching by February-end, while the second team will be arriving before the Shahi Snaan of Maha Shivratri scheduled on March 11.
The NSG has given a go-ahead for the deployment of two NSG teams, comprising 50 commandos each. The state government will also be deployeing over 1,000 Kumbh force from Uttarakhand police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).
Tiger reserve’s plea on train speed dismissed
The Indian Railways turned down Rajaji Tiger Reserve (RTR) administration’s request to not raise the speed of trains passing through the reserve from 50 kmph to 100 kmph. The railways stated that the request was not ‘feasible.’
The officials of the RTR wrote to the railways on Friday again. Earlier, on January 7, the RTR administration had voiced its concerns on the decision to increase the speed of 18 pairs of trains plying between Haridwar and Dehradun on a 52-km track that passes through RTR. The request came after a spate of elephant deaths in the state.
Plan to set the benchmark in elderly care
Uttarakhand government is planning to launch mobile health care units to take care of over nine lakh elderly people in the state.
A draft by the state social welfare department wants to offer healthcare services through mobile care units and physiotherapy.
The objective of the initiative is to reach the remotest places of the hill state and provide better care.
Officials said that each mobile unit will have equipment and staff for health checkup and physiotherapy to cover at least 400 elderly citizens every month.
Uttarakhand is one of the safest states for senior citizens in the country, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released last year. In year 2019, only six incidents of crime against elderly people were registered in Uttarakhand, according to the latest NCRB report.
Vineet Upadhyay
Our correspondent in Dehradun
vineet.upadhyay@newindianexpress.com